Igniter system.



E. C. WILCOX.

IGNITER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, I914- v 1,201,007. Patent-ed OctlO, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E.- C. WILCOX.

IGNITER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2?. 19m.

Patelited Oct. 10,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

E. C. WILCOX.

ZGNITER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, I914.

1,201,007. Patented Oct. 10,1916.

Whine-was 5 vwa wtoz E g 565M016 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST C. WILCOX, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONNECTICUT TELEPHONE & ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT,

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

IGNITER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

Application filed February 27, 1914. Serial No. 821,383.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, ERNEST C. WILCOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mcriden, New Haven county,'State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniter Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 7

My invention relates to improvements 1n igniter systems, and has for its object to produce a self-contained spark coil carrying the essential parts of the system other than the batteries, interrupter and distributer.

It further has for its object to produce such a self-contained spark coil havmg a self-contained safety spark-gap.

It further has for its object to provide an automatic spark coil system in which the automatic parts shall be easily accessible.

It further has for its object to produce such an automatic spark coil system in which the automatic cut-out is guarded against uncertain action due to the jarring of the outotlt as a whole.

The following is a description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic coil embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows the bottom of the coil with the cap plate removed. Fig. 8 is a partial section on the line 8-8, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the spark-coil and also the interrupter and distributer and connec tions. Y Referring more particularly to the draw.- ings, 1 is the hollow casing of the spark-coil made of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material.-- It is open at one end'and closed at the other by an integral bottom of considerable thickness.

. 2 is a wall or partition secured in the upper portion of the casing and carrying on its under side a yielding two-ended contact 3.

4-4 are two yielding contacts supported on the outer side of the partition 2 and provided with suitable binding posts 55 adapted to make contact with the posts %63carried by the ends-of the contact mem- 7 is a metallic ring surrounding the upper end of the casing 1. and provided with a flange 8 having screw-holes for securing the coil inplace.

9 is a cover secured to the ring 7 by screws 10 entering lugs 11 carried by the ring 7. This cover 9 is provided with a boss 12 upon which is mounted a plate 13 having a partial movement of rotation. This plate is provided with a pin 14 which enters a recess in the plug 12 about the axis of which the plate 13 moves.

15 is a spring, one end of which is connected to the plate by a screw 16, while the other engages a projection 17 upon the cover,

so that the spring tends to revolve the plate 15 clockwise, F ig. 6.

The plate 13 is provided with holes 18 through which pass controlling plungers 19 which are provided With push buttons 20 and are normally held in elevated position by springs 21. The plungers are provided with conical enlargements 22 having fiat upper surfaces so that when one of the plungers is-fully depressed, the plate 13,

moving under the action of the spring 15,

passes above the corresponding enlargement V 22 and holds the depressed plunger against retraction as shown at theleft of Fig. 4. When the other plunger is depressed, its en largement 22 moves the plate in a counterclockwise direction, releasing the plunger previously depressed. An interlocking plate 23 prevents the two plungers from being depressed simultaneously.

24 is a plunger having a conical end which I cooperates with the hole 25 in the plate 13 so as to move the plate and release either of the plungers 19 that may have been depressed. The plungers 19 are provided with insulating head portions 26 which, when the plungers are depressed, engage the free ends of the contacts 44 respectively and force them into engagement with the pins'66' carried by the contact 3.

The cover 9 has an internal flange 27 which at three points is thickened so as to form projections 28. Horizontal grooves are cut in these projections, as shown in Fig. 4, for supporting the plate 13 upon the cover 9. The plate 13 is cut out at the points 29 so that it may be inserted or removed. The

- cover 9 and the plate 13 are assembled before the plungers 19 and 24 are put into place. \Vhen these are absent, the plate can be inserted by alining the openings 29 with thetwo adjacent projections 28 and then moving the same into alinement with the grooves in these projections. The, plate is then given a partial turn, whereupon it is held in position. The plungers 19 and 24 are thereafter placed in position and the plate is by them held from turning 'so as to escape from the grooves in the projections 28. The spring 15 is attached to the plate 13 before it is put in position. With this arrangement, the cover plate 13 and the plungers constitute a self-contained device which can be easily removed from the ring 7 so as to expose the automatic parts of the 'switch hereinafter referred to. The depending Wall 27 of the cover is cut away so as to form recesses which fit 7 over the lugs 11, which serve to prevent the cover 9 from being applied to the ring 7 in any position except the correct position. 7

Mounted on the upper surface of the partition 2 is a buzzer having the ordinary magnet coils 30 and also thearmature 31 which carries a hammer 32 and a spring contact 33.

34 is a thermostat which is surrounded by a heating coil 35 and which, when sufli ciently heated under conditions hereafter referred to, closes an electric circuit through the contact 33 and the coils 30. In the arrangement shown in my application, Serial Tia-766,667, filed May 10, 1913, a shock to or jarring of the coil is liable to make'the buzzer contact engage the thermostat so as to complete the electric circuit and-startthe buzzer when it is not desired. In order to guard against this, I mount upon the base of the buzzer a comparatively rigid plate 36. This plate is so rigid as not to have suiiicient vibration to make contact with the thermostat 34 on account of any jarring of the device. The end portion of this rigid plate, that is, the portion Which lies between the contact 33 and the contact upon the thermostat 34, carries an insulated bridge '36.

\Vith one sidevof this insulated portion the.

contact 33 normally makes engagement. lVith the other side of this insulated portion, the contact carried by the thermostat 34 makes engagement when the thermostat I 34 is suihcientlyheated. An electric circuit will, therefore, be made. between the thermostat contact and the Contact 33 when the thermostat becomes sufficiently heated, but

plate can be adjusted slightly by the adjusting screw 36. I

Embedded in the thick bottom of the casing are two terminals 37-38, the inner ends also provided with terminals 42, 43, 44 and 45, covered by a cap 46 which has grooves 48 coinciding with grooves 48 which form I channels for the conductors leading to the terminals 42, 43, 44 and 45 from the batteries and distributer. The cap is provided with a mica window 46' placed over the exposed portion of the-tube 39. The cap is held in place by screw 47. \Vithin the casing is a primary coil 49, one end of which is connected to the terminal 45, while the other is connected to the coil 35 so that the primary coil and the thermostat coil'are in series with one another. The other terminal of the thermostat coil is connected to the contact 3 and'also to the contact upon the thermostat 34.

The buzzer contact 33 is in series with the coils 30 and the terminal 43, which terminal is connected to one terminal of the batteries 50 and 51. The other terminals of these batteries are respectively connected to the contacts 4 and 4 through the binding posts 44 and 42.

52 is the secondary of high tension coil which is connected to the spark gap electrodes 37 and 38.

-A condenser '53 within the casing 1 is connected around the terminals 43 and 45 from the latter of which the conductor 54 leads to' one of the contacts of the inter rupter 55. f

v When either of the plungers 19 is depressed one of the batteries 50, 51 is placed in circuit. If the interrupter is at rest and the primary circuit is closed therethrough for a considerable period .the thermostat 34 heated to cause the battery to be cut out.

The interrupter is protected from 'destructive sparking by the condenser 53 within the casing. The distributer directs the high tensionsecondary currents to the spark ga s in the engine. If one of the spark ga s is net of commission so that the distri uter cannot direct the high tension charge through it by its corresponding minal the high tension current discharges across thesafety spark gap between the safety electrodes 37 and 38 thus protecting the secondary coil from damage.

As will be evident'to those skilled in the art my invention admits of various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the-appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a spark coil, a coil casing having a closed end and provided with a passage extending transversely through said closed end from side to side of the casing, said passage being open for a portion of its length to the end of the casing to thereby expose a portion of the length of saidpassage, a transparent tube in said passage in line with said opening and spark gap electrodes entered into the opposite ends of said passage and extending in separated relation into the opposite ends of the transparent tube within said passage.

2. In a spark coil, a coil casing having a closed end and provided with a spark gap passage extending transversely through said closed end from vside to side of the casing, said passage being open for a portion of its length to the end of the casing, and spark gap electrodes entered into the opposite open ends of said passage and extending toward each other with a gap therebetween in line with the opening in the passage.

3. In a spark coil, a coil casing having a closed end and provided with a spark gap passage extending transversely through said closed end from side to side of the casing, said passage being open for a portion of its length to the end of the casing, and spark gap electrodes entered into the opposite open ends of said passage and extending toward each other with a gap therebetween in line with the opening in the passage, said closed end of the casing having a recessed portion at one side of said spark gap opening and terminals seated in said recess.

4-. In a spark coil, a coil casing having a passage extending transversely through from one side to the'opposite side of said casing, terminal plugs sea'ted within and closing the opposite ends of said passage, and separated spark gap electrodes carried by said terminal-plugs within the passage.

In a spark coil, a coil casing of insulating material having a relatively thick bottom end wall provided with a passage extending transversely therethrough from one side to the opposite side of the casing, secondary terminals mounted in the opposite ends of said passage, spark gap electrodes carried by said terminals in separated relation within the passage, a secondary winding within the casing connected with said terminals, a primary winding within the casing and primary terminals connected therewith mounted on the end of said cas- 6. In a spark coil, a coil casing of insulating material having a relatively thick bottom end wall provided with a passage extending transversely therethrough from one side to the opposite side ofthe casing, secondary terminals mounted in the opposite ends of said passage, spark gap electrodes carried by said terminals in separated relation within the passage, a secondary winding Within the casing connected with said 9 terminals, a primary winding within the casing and primary terminals connected.

therewith mounted on the end of said casing at one side of the transverse passage.

therethrough, said casing end having a recess in which said primary terminals are located and whereby an insulating wall is interposed betweenthe secondary terminals at the sides of the casing and the primary terminals on the end of the casing.

'7. In a spark coil, a coil casing of insulating material provided with an open ended passage, terminal blocks seated within and closing the opposite open ends of said passage and separated spark gap electrodes carried by said terminal blocks within said passage. a

'8. In a spark coil, a substantially cylindrical coil casing having a closed bottom endv comprising a block of insulating material provided with a versely therethrough relatively to the axis of said casing, and located at one side of the axis of the casing, spark gap electrodes closing the ends of said passage, and longitudinally projecting primary 13611111112118 at the end of .the casing at the opposite side of the axis of the casing from said passage therethrough.

9. In a spark coil, the combination of a casing of insulating materialvand closed at one end, a primary coil and a secondary coil therein, external terminals carried by the bottom of said casing and connected to the two ends of said secondary coil, a safety spark gap carried by said casing and electrically connected to the ends of said secondary coil, the electrodes of said spark gap being embedded in the material forming the closed end of said casing,,said casing being provided with an opening adjacent to the gap between said electrodes, a transparent shield for: said opening, terminals for said passage extending transprimary winding situated .on the bottom of the two ends of said secondary coil, a safety spark gap carried by said casing and velectrically connected to theends of said secondary coil, the electrodes of said spark gap being embedded in the'material forming the closed end of said casing, said casing being provided with an opening adjacent to the gap between said electrodes, a transparent shield for said opening, terminals for said primary winding situated on the bottom of said casing, and a cover for the same secured to the bottom of said casing and extending over said last named terminals and also over said opening, said cover being provided with a window over said opening.

11. In a spark. coil, a coil casing having a wall of insulating material provided with an open ended passage, terminal blocks closing the opposite open ends of said passage, and separated spark gap electrodes carried by said terminal blocks within said passage.

12. In a spark coil, a coil casing having a wall of. insulating material provided with an open ended passage. open for a portion of its length to the outside of the casing, terminal plugs closing the open ends of said passage, separated spark gap electrodes carried byisaid plugs in said passage with the gap therebetween in line witlithe opening in the side of the passage, a transparent shield rial formed with a passage therein open at one end to the outside of the cas'ing, a terminal plug closing said open end ofthe passage, a terminal in the opposite end of said passage, spark gap electrodes carried by said termin'alsin separated relation within the passage, a primary winding within the casing, terminals on the casing connected with said primary winding and a secondary winding in the casing connected with the spark gap terminals.

ERNEST C. \VILCQX.

IVitnesses:

A. B. CosMAN, G. H. DUTTON. 

